gourmand
noun
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"What God has plagu'd us with this gourmaund guest?" As this exasperated question from Alexander Pope's 18th-century translation of Homer's Odyssey suggests, being a gourmand is not always a good thing. When gourmand began appearing in English texts in the 15th century, it was a decidedly bad thing, a synonym of glutton that was reserved for a greedy eater who consumed well past satiation. That negative connotation mostly remained until English speakers borrowed the similar-sounding (and much more positive) gourmet from French in the 19th century. Since then, the meaning of gourmand has softened so that although it still isn't wholly flattering, it now suggests someone who likes good food in large quantities rather than a slobbering glutton.
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Examples of gourmand in a Sentence
Bea McMonagle, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
This yummy gourmand balances warm, sweet honey with spicy cinnamon and sugary vanilla.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 9 Oct. 2024
This concoction makes Retrospect read more sophisticated than the gourmands and single-note florals that flood For You Pages today.
—Claire Sullivan, WWD, 22 Oct. 2024
Also, gourmand fragrances continue to be popular—especially the yummy, creamy ones.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Gourmand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gourmand. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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